Out with the old: 7 places to donate baby clothes and gear

As your baby grows older the amount of stuff they accumulate grows bigger as well. As you take on spring cleaning, you might find onesies with tags attached that don’t fit your little one. Or maybe you have a box of toys gathering dust that they were never interested in playing with. Well, if you’re wondering where to donate baby clothes and gear, look no further.

There are many places to donate baby items. Women and babies in need might be struggling with everything from clean clothes to fresh diapers. In an age where you can even donate breast milk, there are a lot of baby items that are needed by struggling families everywhere. Of course, there are the usual places you can take your donations to but there are also a few places that are happy to take donations that might surprise you.

7 places to donate baby items

1. Doctor’s offices

While it might not be the first place you think of when you think about donating, local doctor’s offices might be in need of new or gently used baby’s toys. Larger hospitals might have more restrictions and opt for toys in their original packaging. But, smaller doctor’s offices might have more relaxed rules about what they’re willing to accept for their waiting rooms.

2. Women’s shelters

Your local women’s shelter may have an abundance of babies without the proper necessities for all of them. You know that half-empty pack of diapers that your baby grew out of before you could finish? Donating it is a great way to get it out of the closet and in the hands of someone who really needs it. So, if you’re looking for where to donate baby clothes or where to donate baby gear, this is a great place to start.

3. Churches

Any church anywhere is more than likely to accept your baby’s gently used items. Whether it’s clothes, toys or other baby gear, chances are that the church staff can either give your donations directly to a member’s family they know is in need or store it with other donations for families to come by and grab.

4. Baby banks

Baby banks operate much like food banks. Families in need can come “shop” for items they need for their baby at no charge. They take baby items that are in good condition and pass them off to struggling families. Check with your local baby bank to see what items they’re currently accepting.

5. Humanitarian organizations

Humanitarian organizations are always looking for donations. Families come to them from all over the world and are usually without basic necessities. A quick Google search will pull up your local humanitarian organizations, or possibly churches that are affiliated with one, and you can look through their requirements for donations before bringing in your baby’s items.

6. Thrift stores

Thrift stores, such as your local Goodwill or Salvation Army, are probably in need of all kinds of baby items. Since they have designated drop-off zones it’s extremely easy to box everything up and drop it off. The trade-off is that your child’s items won’t be given to a needy family for free but rather it will be sold in store.

7. Social media

Hear me out. This one might take a little more time and effort but there are all kinds of mom groups on Facebook and other social media sites. There are groups specifically for donations where you might find someone in need of baby gear that is local to you. You can post photos of your items and plan a safe meet-up or drop-off location to donate your items. This is also a great opportunity to post larger items and ask friends and families to spread the word to anyone they know who is in need of something they can’t afford on their own.

A version of this post was published April 11, 2023. It has been updated.